Friend of the Night
by HazyCrazy
Summary: Kitty is frightened during a thunderstorm that is raging through Westchester, and hopes to find some comfort during the night. PRE X2. Some fluffy Kyro for you!


**This was written for**** _Prompt #8 – Thunderstorm_ from a table at LJ community Phase & Fire.**

**Friend of the Night**

A thunderstorm was raging through Westchester County. Thunder clapped menacingly overhead and the wind howled eerily, causing trees to sway dangerously and leaves to be scattered everywhere on the ground. The rain came down in sheets and hammered onto the roof of the mansion, the lightning crackling and targeting the tallest of trees in the vicinity. Half of the school's occupants were wide awake, listening to the storm rage on and enjoying the sound of the rain hitting the roof and the bright flashes of light that filtered through their windows. A quarter of the population were fast asleep, unaware of what was going on around them. And finally, the last quarter wanted to go to sleep but couldn't – they were the ones who were frightened of storms.

Kitty Pryde fit into the latter category. She tossed and turned in her bed, tangling the sheets and furiously trying to think of something to dream about. Counting sheep didn't help, neither did counting trees, or monkeys, or Zippo lighters… Speaking of, how was John Allerdyce coping through this horrible storm?

Kitty shakily got out of bed and walked over to her window. The curtains had been drawn and so she pried them open a little, peering out into the darkness and gloom. She had always hated thunderstorms; she would hardly admit it to anybody, but they still frightened her. The window was spattered with condensation, and she witnessed a striking flash of light just seconds before a deep, rolling thunder pierced her eardrums. She phased out of shock, and fell right through the floorboards of her bedroom and into the one below.

Thank goodness it was the bedroom of somebody she knew.

Picking herself up from the floor, Kitty's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and she spotted the lump she was looking for, lying on a bed in the corner of the room. She ran to it and shook the figure gently.

"John… John! Wake up!" she said, shaking his shoulders.

She felt him stir a little, but he didn't wake. _God, you would never have picked _John_, of all people, to sleep like a baby…_ Kitty mused. She persisted in trying to wake him by talking into his ear, and finally she got a response.

"Go away… stop trying to take my Zippo…" he mumbled incoherently.

Kitty stifled a laugh, and played along, hoping that maybe he could hear her in his subconscious. "I don't even have your Zippo, John. It's on your bedside table."

"Is there a fire? Tell me where the fire is!"

Kitty laughed. Not quite the response she had been looking for, but at least it seemed he was nearing consciousness. He had rolled over onto his back by now, and Kitty had a sudden impulse. She leant over and kissed him smack bang on the lips.

Now _that_ definitely woke him up.

John's eyes fluttered open and he stared, blinking rapidly, up at his girlfriend.

"What the fuck Kitty?!" he grumbled, wondering what on Earth she was doing there and why she had woken him up. He _hated_ being woken up. Even if it was by someone he cared about.

"John… I-I'm… I… I don't want to be alone right now." Kitty stuttered, fumbling with her hands, her face flushed. She hoped he couldn't see it in the dark. John just looked up at her, closing his eyes from time to time, struggling to keep them open. Kitty continued when he didn't say anything. "Can't I just… stay with you for a bit?"

"Why?"

"Because, um… I can't sleep, and…" She didn't tell him the real reason she had appeared in his bedroom so early in the morning.

"Get in," he said finally, after a few seconds of silence. He pulled open the covers of his quilt, revealing the rest of him, clad in a grey t-shirt and dark sweatpants.

Kitty slowly got underneath the covers with him, and lied down on her side to face him. Even though they were together, and had been for a while now, being this close in proximity to him still tended to make her a little shy. Although, every time the lightning struck and lit up his room, she could see the intricate design of his irises; the greens, browns and a hint of yellow all mixed together. It reminded her of a wildfire out in the Australian scrub, burning all alone in the middle of a grassy field, and it was very comforting, although sometimes she wasn't sure why.

"John… Can you hold me?" Kitty asked quietly, unsure of what he was going to say.

"I'm too tired to move," John whispered back sleepily, his eyes adorably half-closed. "Plus aren't you a little too old to be scared of thunderstorms?"

Kitty half-shrugged and looked at him rather sheepishly. "Maybe… but I really can't get to sleep!"

"I'm still not holding you," John said, teasing her.

"Aww, but I was really looking forward to that part!" Kitty pouted, and watched John's expression with interest.

John managed to smirk at her and gave in, pulling her gently and easily into his arms. Kitty rested her head on his chest and listened to the steady, rhythmic beating of his heart.

John placed a soft kiss on the top of her head as his way of saying goodnight, and then mumbled, "Now sleep!"

"Whatever you say…" Kitty trailed off, and closed her eyes, snuggling into her boyfriend to get more comfortable. Before long she had drifted off, and her dreams were thankfully not plagued by dark shadows on the wall or other terrifying images associated with nightmares. Rather, she dreamt of sunny skies, blossoms and those beautiful hazel eyes she knew well and loved.

**END**


End file.
